Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for an eARC in exchange for review. All opinions are my own, as usual.

DNF at 33%
TW: Drugs

Rule of Threes follows Maggie as she finds out she has a half-brother. She is also struggling with the transition to middle school with her friends. Though I did like the idea of the school decorating contest (I actually did this many times in middle school), the first third of the book wasn't catching me. I've started to realize how important an attention grabbing beginning of a story is for me, and this wasn't delivering enough. Maggie was a bit insensitive of her surrounding, which I understand is part of her age, but it got distracting at points. I think this would have had a great message, but it wasn't engaging enough to keep me reading.

I received an ereader arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is my first read by this author. I thought it was a great middle grade story about a family that thought it was all together. Maggie was all about ‘threes’-in her BFF decorating club, her family of just her and her parents. Then comes a half brother she’s known nothing about. She learns quickly that life can be good outside of threes. Lots of lessons for family issues, drug abuse and simply unfair things in life. Life in Middleschool can be hard but add a new sibling that's only one year older than you are then it gets real tough. Are you dealing with a grandparent and Alzheimers? This story incorporates so many issues that are hard to deal with, and Ms Campbell does it in an excellent way!

This was such a unique Middle-Grade book. It covers topics that are so hard to talk about, especially towards a young audience, like drug addiction or Alzheimer's, and it does so in a way that allows the reader to understand such challenging situations without it being a traumatic experience.

At first, I was scared of the point of view, but the main character grows throughout the novel and learns to see her own privileges, she evolves and starts empathizing with the struggles of others.

All the characters were flawed like all humans are, but there was a lot of development and I really appreciated that too.

Overall, it was a great book. I highly recommend it.

A beautifully written Middle Grade book that focuses on the challenges and obstacles facing our young protagonist. A compelling read.

I loved this book! Rule of Threes is about a young girl that is just starting middle school and suddenly things are changing. At first, it's just normal things like friends drifting apart in a new school, but soon enough drastic changes start happening. I felt so bad for the kids in the story. It was so realistic and a lot of it was stuff that, even as an adult, I could relate to. The characters were well written and really came a live to me and the storyline was great. At some points, I had to struggle not to cry and at others I was so proud of the children. This is a story about family and friends, struggles, and growth. It was an amazing read and I think that it is a great story for kids to understand that even though life may not be perfect we can still make a good life. Such a touching story! I would highly recommend it to others!

CW: Drug addiction, overdose

Rule of Threes is a middle grade book about major family changes, with considerable focus on drug addiction.

Rule of Threes focuses on the life of Maggie, a girl who has just started 6th grade with her two 'BFFs'. One day, she gets a big surprise when her half brother shows up in their lives, when his mother is dealing with addiction recovery. A lot of secrets begin to get unraveled, both regarding her brother and the declining well being of her grandmother. Meanwhile, Maggie is dealing with confusing behavior of one of her long time friends as well.

I felt like this book was really respectful, but serious, about drug addiction. The character struggling with addiction is referred to as being 'sick', which is the proper way to handle the topic, IMO. I really think the way the author addressed addiction was one of the best parts of this book, even though it's also a heavy subject. The book also tackles infidelity and Alzheimer's as well.

The big problem I had with this book, and the reason I gave it three stars, is because I thought Maggie was a pretty awful main character, particularly at the beginning of the book. She comes across as very petty and judgemental. There's a whole scene about her mentally judging one of her 'best friends' homes, and talking about their lack of money. She has a lot of rather snide thoughts about decor in general. I understand her character has a love of decorating, but I feel like her thoughts about redecorating could have been written in a way that felt less judgey and more 'inspired'. It really just rubbed me the wrong way, and disliking the character takes away from the emotional payoff at the end of the book.

I received this e-book free from NetGalley to read and review with my honest thoughts.

A truly cute middle grade story. Our main character, Maggie, has 2 close friends, Olive and Rachel. All is well until Maggie's half brother enters the picture. Triggers include drug addiction, Alzheimer's, trauma. Plot is realistic, easy to follow. Issues surrounding family life and problems, and friendships are prevalent. I liked this one. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC. 3.5 Stars

Maggie has just started middle school and things are already a little weird when she not only finds out she has a half brother but that he’ll live with her family for a while. This kicks off a period of great change in her life, but over time she leans to embrace the changes as well as truly forming a bond with her new brother.

This was a really accessible read and I loved the characters relationships, especially Maggie and her new brother Tony. The issues and feelings discussed in this book were very relatable for me and perfect for the age the characters are supposed to be. The heavy focus on design was really cool and unique, offering a fun element to the book. While this is a rather simplistic story, it does feel appropriate for a middle grade book. A thoughtful and engaging read especially for kids 10-13!

I did like this book. It took me back to when I was in late middle school. I have some mixed feelings about certain parts because I am a young parent. I want to protect my children as much as possible from certain truths for as long as possible.
For parents: This book is about a family sticking together through thick and thin, and about the changing of friendships. It also deals with strong themes such as drug overdoses and adultery. Be forwarned. However it was well written.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for review.

This is an interesting story. We don't often see topics like divorce and Alzheimer's being discussed in Middle Grade books. I really enjoyed seeing some things that a lot of people can relate to. I like the way emotions are handled as well. Children don't always know how they feel and it is okay to change your mind! I like that this book shows that families can be broken yet find happiness within it. It is one of my favorite things to see in books.

Maggie (my favourite character) lives with her perfect family of 3- her, her mum and her dad. Maggie has just started middle school, her best friend has started distancing herself from their circle of 3 friends, this was stressful enough for Maggie and now her Grandma who she is very close with starts to forget things including Maggie. To top it of, her half brother who she had no idea existed, shows up one day and that's when it all becomes overwhelming for Maggie.

It all flowed effortlessly and didn't feel like a lot was happening. Marcy Campbell covers topics like, divorce, drugs, and Alzheimer's which unfortunately many people especially children have to face in real life. It just shows the reality that there is nothing simple about life, no matter what stage people are in. You will come to see this from the perspective of all the characters. Marcy Campbell out did herself with this one, allowing readers to reflect on some of the challenges encountered in real life. The story is honest, complex and full of realistic emotions.

Maggie is a young girl who has a passion for interior design. She loves to spend time and get creative with her 2 bestfriends. She is kind, but sometimes she only thinks about herself. Like some children her age Maggie has a lot to deal with which sometimes brings her down. However, she will have you smiling as she narrates the story. Maggie is a slight perfectionist and believes her passion will always allow her to win but later comes to realise that there no such thing as perfect. This book was everything I hoped for in a Middle Grade fiction!

As much as I'd like to say I liked the main characters I just didn't. Maggie Flip Flopped through her emotions and so did the other characters so if you got on board with how they were feeling on page 50 by page 75 they'd be completely different. Also the synopsis reveals way too much. I couldn't believe the brother was revealed around page 40 and by page 80 the grandmother's illness was still not discussed yet.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
This book deals with pretty heavy topics like drug addiction, divorce, and Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, many children have to face this in real life. I loved how the author has woven complex topics into this book.
The protagonist, Maggie, is a strong and round character with both bad and good sides; she is self-centered; at the same time, she is good at heart.
I am not very comfortable with my children reading such difficult topics yet. So I didn’t let my ten-year-old son read this. I read this book.
Warning for content: This book has drug addiction as a major part of the plot. If that is something you don’t want your children to read, you can skip this book. That doesn’t make this book any bad, though. I loved it. Overall it’s a riveting middle-grade fiction.

This is a really sweet realistic middle grade novel! The main character, Maggie, is very happy with the life she's always had as an only child with two best friends and a loving grandmother, but as she is transitioning to sixth grade, one by one each of these things begins changing.

I would especially recommend this for girls in fifth and sixth grade, as they will most be able to relate to Maggie's struggles and triumphs in this stage of life.

Note warning for content - drug addition, if this is at all sensitive for your family. Nothing is explicit, but it is a major part of the plot.

I enjoyed reading “Rule of Threes” as it covered many topics for a middle-grade novel.

Although targeted for middle grade, the plot is heavy with some topics like substance abuse, separation, Alzheimer’s, and divorce. Moreover, the characters are realistic and dynamic. The author nicely portrays how emotional and dysfunctional a family can get when uncertainty enters their lives.

Maggie is excellent in the lead as she tries to adjust to the new situation. She goes through a LOT in the story, and it was interesting to see how she copes with each of them. On one side, I loved the conflicting emotions Maggie has for her father. On the other hand, she also deals with her grandmother’s issues of Alzheimer’s. Also, there is her conflicting friendship with Rakell/Rachel and adjusting to Tony. I thought she was a strong character for handling all the challenges. On a side note, I also loved Maggie’s passion for interior design and how she aspires for things to be a certain way.

Similarly, I also enjoyed Tony in the role. One of my favorite scenes in the story is when Tony takes Maggie to meet his mother at McDonald’s and the awkward moments that transpire. Tony and Maggie share a lovely bond that felt gradual and realistic.

However, there were a few minor parts where I wished I had more details. For instance, I would have liked more information about Rachel and Tony as they also go through quite a lot. It would have also been interesting to see the mother’s emotions as she also goes through changes. But, in retrospect, that might have stretched the story.

Apart from that, I enjoyed the book. Overall, “Rule of Threes” is a riveting, realistic, middle-grade novel worth checking out.

This is a great book, it would be really good for a middle school class to read. It is a book about an only child who suddenly learns she has a half brother and her life flips upside down. The book goes through the new family dynamics and expresses the tough issues that go on in the family members lives to make their new normal.

There are a lot of heavy topics covered in this novel, but it is done in a simple and well explained way. These are, unfortunately, real topics that some kids are having to deal with in their personal lives.

The relationships between siblings and friends were written very realistically. They talked back to each other, argued, etc, but they always worked it out. The kids acted like real kids do. The siblings acted the way real siblings act with each other. I found Maggie to be a self-centered brat, but she had plenty of good qualities also, and in the end, she was becoming aware of her faults and working on them.

I enjoyed that Maggie was into interior design. This is a unique hobby, especially for this genre. It added some fun to the story and I actually leaned a little something.

Rule of Threes showed the difficulties life can bring, the difficulty of facing change, and how all things are possible to get though with the love of family and friends.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #RuleofThrees

So many books shy away from representing real lives. As if talking about broken homes, divorce, anger, and addiction are too much for this age group. In my classroom, there are more kids that can identify with some of the family situations in this book than not.

This book took those topics on boldly. The lives of the BFF’s are messy and real and I enjoyed being a part of their journey.

CAWPILE Rating: 8.64

Enjoyed this book about Maggie and her two best friends who call themselves the BFF- best foot forward. They love to design things, and there is a contest at school they are entering. Things begin to go wrong when Rachel pulls away and becomes distant. Then to add to the confusion and anger she feels, Maggie’s grandmother has Alzheimer’s and her dad has a son from a previous relationship. Can Maggie handle all this change? She finds that if you listen hard enough you can hear a person’s sadness, and that memories don’t last forever.

It surprises me how well authors these days, reach to openly speak about serious topics yet do so in a way that there remains room for hope, for the young people reading the book.
This is an excellent example how a story can pack difficult topics such as: inter-family relations, drug addiction and Alzheimer's disease all into one plot, but also showing that happy moments do occur and there is hope, always.

The complexity of life (and sometimes, it all just comes raining down on us in one big shower) is well-shown & I am thankful for the possibility I have received to pre-read this book.